Interlude
by Yoake Hajime
Summary: Side story to "Sometimes When We Touch". Connects chapters 7 & 8 but can be read on its own. (I think.) HieiXKurama. Shounen ai.


Hey people! Can't talk.  Just needed to type this up real fast and post it.  Expect an SWWT update by January or March.  dodges various objects hurled her way  So um, anyway, YYH doesn't belong to me.  It belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi and a bunch of other people.  Please send me comments minna! puppy eyes Gotta go now!

Interlude

~A "Sometimes When We Touch" Side Story~

_Freedom._

This is what it is.  This is what it feels like.  This is how I recall it to be.

I've almost forgotten how it was.  To be free, that is.  But as my lithe form rushed through the rich foliage around me, I found myself once more relishing the sweet taste of liberty.  I made my way through the Makai woods, my silver paws making soft thuds against the moss-covered ground and my five tails wagging furiously behind me.  I had chosen to revert to my fox form for this journey back to the human world.  It was a slightly nostalgic manner on my behalf, of being one with my Makai roots.  Of acknowledging my youko origin and my ancestral home, before I returned to my new one.  The one waiting for me.  But all other reasons aside I must admit, I smiled to myself, I had missed this form. 

I had missed its graceful agility, I thought as I nimbly leaped over a fallen trunk and easily wove my way through the thick undergrowth.  I had missed its natural swiftness, observing the rapid speed at which a multitude of forms and colors entered and passed my view.  And above all, I had missed the keener senses that came with this fox body.  

I always felt more aware of the world around me as a kitsune.  Sounds seemed nearer, colors looked brighter and sensations were unmistakable.  Everything appeared clearer, sharper, more vivid.  The sun…the earth…the air.  They all seemed to beckon me.  They all seemed to… come alive.

The soothing atmosphere of the forest felt like a cozy blanket wrapping gently around me.  With a slight skip in my pace and an extra wag in my tails, I took more notice of my surroundings as I made my way through the greenery.    

Turning my head upwards as I ran, I set my gaze on the thick canopy of leaves shielding the forest floor from the harsh Makai sun.  Curling leaves and wiry branches intertwined above me, seeming to follow their own secret pattern.  They formed a colorful tapestry of the richest shades of purple, scarlet, emerald and sienna; with but a few tears in the fabric to allow golden streaks of sunlight to shine through.  _It was breathtaking._  At my sides, strong, centuries-old trees towered.  Their thick branches eagerly reached up to the sky and their dark bark, already worn and peeling off, were often encased in green and purple ivy.  Makai flowers blossomed at their feet, some brightening the dark forest grounds with their pastel shades and others sweetly filling the air with their heady fragrance.  From near and far, the chirping of Makai insects and calling of demon birds came alternately with the occasional silence.  It was a near-perfect image of the Ningenkai's own tropical rainforests.  So alike and yet…so different.

Nevertheless, it was a delightful onslaught to the senses, this multitude of sights and sounds.  It was a fresh reminder of the Makai's unique beauty and hidden charm, so I welcomed it eagerly.   I've forgotten how beautiful my old home truly is.  Or perhaps I've never realized until now.   I do not really recall ever appreciating this world when I was Youko Kurama.  Quite shameful, yes.  But I can't deny how I was like before.  Back then, my life—or rather, my existence—seemed to move forward at such a rapid pace.  I couldn't quite call it a life because I don't think I had really _lived_ as a youko.  It was always one heist after another, one lover after the next.  The Makai was just a place to carry out my plans and fellow youkai were just pawns to be used in them.  No, I could hardly call that living.  I only learned what living was when I became human.  And with that came the knowledge of what Home is, what true Beauty is, what Friendship is…_what Love is._  And I learned to cherish every one of them.

It was ironic.  The Demon world looked so beautiful when viewed from human eyes.

A sudden brightness roused me from my thoughts.  Blinking rapidly at the harsh sunlight, I found that I had stumbled upon a small woodland clearing.  As I quickly raked my eyes over the area, the tinkling sound of running water caught my attention.  Turning my head towards the source, I discovered a spring running out of a rocky hillside at the far end of the glade.  The water probably came up from an underground river system and it accumulated in a small pool beside the rock-strewn hill.  Cool and inviting.  Who was I to refuse?

But first…

I moved further into the clearing, paws thudding softly on the grass-covered ground and paused when I got to the middle.  I allowed my ki, which I had been masking, to flow freely throughout my being.   A faint amber glow surrounded me and I sensed a slight warmth rush through my veins.  Slowly, I felt the transformation begin to take place.

My ears and face grew rounder as my limbs and body lengthened in turn.  My paws formed into hands and feet as my silver fur disappeared, replaced by silken robes.  Finally, crimson strands grew to frame my face and green orbs took the place of previously gold ones.  I had changed back to my human form, Shuuichi Minamino.     

The transformation complete, I knelt down on one knee and touched the sun-warmed ground with my hand.  Once again allowing my life force to flow, I infused the area with my ki, bidding the plants to my will and putting them under my command.  Large Makai vines grew from along the glade's edges forming a rich net-like border around the area.  Outside the green walls of my leafy fortress, carnivorous flowers and deadly plant traps grew to surround the clearing.  I had claimed this area as mine, my territory.  Set foot on it and die.

Pleased with my handiwork, I stood from my bent position on the ground and leisurely made my way to the spring.  Reaching the water's edge, I removed my garments, folded them neatly into a pile and placed them on a nearby boulder.  I stepped out of my sandals and into the clear, glistening water.  Wading my way further into the pool until I was waist-deep, I began to bathe.  

As my body went through the familiar motions, I found my mind slowly wandering away from the present and I was soon lost in my thoughts.  

~Flashback~

It felt so right.  To be held like this.

To feel his body against mine…feel his arms around me…and feel his heart pounding against my own.

It was so easy to forget time and space when we were like this.  So easy to forget that my heart was breaking just a few moments ago.  So easy to forget that my feelings were still unrequited.  But I did not care at the moment.  I was content to just be like this.  Content to know that our friendship has not been broken.  And content, if not happy, to be alone with him.  To just…_be_ with him.  

            The sounds of our breathing were the only ones piercing the warm silence cloaking us.  But the silence soon became deafening and I felt the need to break it.  I stirred in his embrace, removing my head from the crook of his neck to stare into his haunting garnet gaze.  I licked my lips and nervously swallowed a lump in my surprisingly dry throat.

            "Come back with me?"  I asked, my voice a strangely hesitant whisper, silently praying he would not refuse.

            His eyes stared back into mine, unreadable as ever and he answered with yet another query.

            "Where?"

            I smiled at him, gently tousling his raven hair.

            "Home."          

            ~End Flashback~

            A chilly breeze blew across my face, strangely different from the usually warm Makai air.  It roused me from my reverie and caused my body to shudder slightly from the sudden cold.  Recovering from the chill, I splashed water on my face with both hands then moved my damp bangs away from my eyes with my fingers.  I stared at the unsteady water, my reflection quite unrecognizable due to the many ripples disturbing the pond's surface.  I felt myself lapsing back into a familiar state of loneliness and I fought to keep from falling into it again.   I brought a hand to my chest and clutched the smooth sphere hanging loosely on a thin chain around my neck.  I stayed that way unmoving, watching my reflection grew clearer as the water began to still.

            ~Flashback~

            I saw what seemed to be a hint of regret and sadness grace his features.  I braced myself for the refusal I was about to hear.  I was being rejected.  Again.  I think I should have been used to it by now, after everything that has happened.

            _But it hurts all the same.           _

"Kurama…" He began, crimson eyes still boring through mine, voice beautifully low and husky. 

            "I can't."  

            "I can't just yet."  

            I tore my eyes away from his to keep him from witnessing my disappointment.  I nodded, still keeping my gaze averted and I bit my lip to keep from demanding a reason.  Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw him take something from his pocket, his hand delving into a slit in his black trousers.  I soon felt his touch under my chin and then he was gently turning my head back to face him.

            "Look at me, fox."

             The words were commanding and yet the tone hardly was.  Nervously swallowing, I once again dared to look him in the eye.  And my breath caught at what I saw in them.  I could have stared at them forever but his rich timbre broke the enchantment whilst casting another spell.

            "Soon, Kurama."  Came the sweet whisper.  

            "I will return to you."  

I felt my heart throb at the hidden promise of the statement.

            "Until that time comes…"  

He took my hand and placed something cold in my open palm.

            "Keep this for me."

            I stared mutely at the gift in disbelief and amazement, my vision slowly clouding with unshed tears.

            _It was his mother's teargem._

~End Flashback~

            I caressed the blue orb lovingly with my fingers.  And a smile soon formed itself on my lips.

            _Soon, Kurama…_

Soon… 

_I will return…_

_I will return to you…_

I felt my smile grow wider.  He said "return".  _Return.  As if he was mine from the start._

I brought the precious sphere to my lips before letting it fall and dangle once again from my neck, close to my heart.

Another breeze blew through the clearing and this time I closed my eyes to relish its chilly caress.  When I could no longer feel the wind's feathery touch on my cheek, I opened my eyes and turned my gaze upward towards the clear sapphire sky.

_"I've waited this long for you, Hiei."_

_"I can wait again."_

~owari~

November 2002


End file.
